Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has issued a heartfelt plea for dignity as Tooro Kingdom prepares to bury King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. There has been a rift in the Royal Family over succession since King Oyo died of cancer on August 27, 2026, at age 34.
Oyo became the world’s youngest reigning monarch at three years old in 1995 after his father’s death. He grew up ruling the kingdom for almost 31 years before his death, which shook the world.
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The Late King’s Will
In a 2022 will released by the kingdom, he named his biological son as first heir. If the son is unable to succeed, the line passes to his paternal cousin, Prince Komwiswa Yoweri.
It stated that in the case where Prince Komwiswa Yoweri is unable to succeed, then it passes to Prince Nyaika Solomon.
King Oyo has a young son whose existence was only revealed after Oyo’s death; his identity has never been publicly disclosed, and he had not previously been presented as the heir. Some clan elders said they were unaware of any biological child.
Competing Claims to the Throne
Despite this, a Babiito clan committee which the queen describes as “self-appointed,” initially selected London-based non-league goalkeeper. The SE Dons captain George Desmond Kamurasi (“Big G”), a royal cousin, as the preferred successor. However, he reportedly showed reluctance to leave the UK.
In her statement, Queen Kemigisa recounts that Oyo’s will was read in the presence of family members. The Musuuga (head of the Babiito clan), Princess Ruth Komuntale, other royals, clergy, and Maj Gen Henry Tumukunde representing the President were there.
She says the document clearly outlined the order of succession. Those present agreed to reconvene the next day under Tumukunde’s chairmanship.
That same evening, however, while Oyo’s body still lay nearby, the group held a press conference. They announced their own choice of king, reportedly Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a UBC television presenter, disregarding the will.
The move has sparked a bitter royal family rift, with Princess Ruth Komuntale and the Queen Mother rejecting the selection.
Kemigisa also claims royal guards were withdrawn and troops deployed around the palace, leaving the family under what she describes as house arrest.
She is appealing to President Museveni, the UPDF, and those contesting the throne to allow the family to mourn and bury King Oyo in peace on September 12.
“There will be time for all of that. Let us grieve and bury my son,” she wrote.
Public Reaction
Public reaction has been mixed and intense. Many Ugandans have sided with the Queen Mother, criticising the clan for rushing the process while the body was still present and urging respect for the late king’s will.
Others support the choice of an adult monarch, arguing that Tooro customs favour a ready leader over a child king.
The kingdom’s prime minister has called on all sides to pause the dispute until after the burial, warning that the conflict risks dividing Tooro at a time of mourning.
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